Recreational watercrafts such as kayaks continue to grow in popularity. As such, there have been various efforts to maximize the safety, comfort, and control of these watercrafts to accommodate various uses and operating environments. One particular type of recreational watercraft, the sit on top kayak, has gained popularity and recognition for enhanced safety.
As its name suggests, the sit on top kayak differs from other kayaks in that the user sits in a depression forming a seating area on top of the kayak, as opposed to sitting inside, as in traditional kayaks. As a result, it is generally easier for a user to quickly escape a capsized sit on top kayak than it is to escape a capsized sit inside kayak because the user does not have to attempt to escape from an interior of the kayak while underwater.
Unfortunately, the depression forming the seating area can easily collect water therein due to its open design, thereby creating an uncomfortable ride. To reduce the amount of water that collects within this depression, sit on top kayaks often incorporate drains called scuppers that allow water to drain out of the depression thereby keeping the seating area generally dry. The scupper is typically a tube that extends from the depression, through the hull of the kayak, to an opening on an underside thereof.
Unfortunately, when the sit on top kayak is overloaded by personnel or gear, water can enter the seating area through the scupper, thereby negating the purpose of the scupper entirely. To solve this problem, the scupper can be plugged, but this has the undesirable effect of prohibiting the scupper from draining any water that later enters the depression.
In view of the above, it is therefore desirable for a scupper plug that alleviates the above noted deficiencies. The invention provides such a scupper plug. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.